Mobile operators to lock content on new SanDisk MicroSD card

As the functionality of mobile phones has increased so has the need for storage to hold all those photos and videos you shoot. That means slots for MicroSD cards have also started appearing more frequently in phones allowing for the free storage and distribution of content. It has also led to network operators including free content on a MicroSD card to entice you to purchase the phone.{ad}

It looks like the mobile networks aren’t too happy with the fact you can share the content they give you for free, though. SanDisk and LG Electronics have started demonstrating a MicroSD card in a mobile phone that has locked content. What that means is any content on the card when you get your phone will >only< be usable on that phone. If you slot the card into another phone or a card reader you won't be able to copy or access that content. The rest of the card's storage remains open for use, however.
This is seen as advantageous to the mobile networks because they can not only offer you content only available to that phone, but they can add to it at regular intervals. An 18-month subscription may come with 10 free MP3s a month for example, but they will only ever work with that subscription and that phone.
This locking mechanism has been made possible by the use of the Open Mobile Alliance Smart Card Web Server system, which allows the card to be controlled over the Internet. Carriers also lock the card to a specific SIM making it easy to check what device the card is plugged into.

Matthew’s Opinion
This sounds like a really bad idea to me. Consumers are just getting used to everyone dropping DRM from their content and allowing its free movement. Any operator who introduced this would not get a good reception and people would likely steer clear of such a card.

The only way I could see this working is if the content was something the user didn’t mind losing. For example, if your phone got exclusive access to some music concert footage, or got to see the latest film trailers a day earlier than everyone else. So content people want to see a couple of times and see it first, but after that it is throw-away.

The networks could also use it as a security feature for the user. If and when phones become capable of paying for goods the locked card could be used to store payment details. It could store receipts for recent purchases and even special offers you have received from buying goods. These can and should be locked to a specific phone as they would otherwise pose a security risk if your card was stolen.

The key to this working and being useful is choosing carefully what content goes on to the locked portion of the card. If carriers have plans to put MP3s and TV episodes in there then they are likely in for a surprise when customers get angry over losing their content at the end of a subscription period.

Speak Your Mind

hodar

Some people never seem to figure it out. We are in an age of consumerism. We want the best, most feature-rich and dependable system we can afford. Everything is negotiable, some pay less and accept less cell coverage, some pay more for better coverage, but buy minimized phone functionality. Others simply want the best available.

Limit us, and we do the math and compute the irritation factor of proprietary locks, against what the competition that doesn’t limit us. Typically, we chose the less restrictive option. People were willing to pay MORE for DRM-less music files. Any company opting to limit the phone’s memory card has to know that some percentage of their customer base will flee to their competitor. This seems like a industry-busting fix to a problem that has insignificant fiscal impact.